Saint George monastery at Menies
The very old monastery of Saint George (Agios Georgios) at Menies, Rodopos peninsula, was built in the 9th century, was restored several times and was finally abandoned several centuries later, because of the constant raids of pirates. The interior of the temple was decorated with frescoes by an excellent painter, as evidenced by surviving mural of a hierarch.
A small watchtower was built next to the building complex and was used till the Venetian times. It was built by the monks of the monastery so as to control the sea and pirates. The tower survived during the Venetian era and this is verified by a mark, on a Roman inscription, dating back in 1596. Ruins of the tower still exist today.
Eventually, the monks, forced by the constant pirate raids, abandoned the monastery of Saint George and founded the Monastery of Saint George at Kolimbari, the current cemetery of Gonia Odigitria monastery.
